Automobile timer



Oct. 23, W. H. DYER AUTOMOBILE TIMER Fi1ed Aug. 11, 1922 I TIGB INVENTOR. 1 N (9 Q A ORNEY.

- Mama.

Patented Oct. 23, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. DYER, OF DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP, MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN, AS- SIGNOB 0F ONE-HALF T0 EMMA RAYMOND, OF ENTRICAN, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMOBILE TIMER.

Application filed August 11, 1922. Serial No. 581,250.

To all 7.!) 710m it may concern:

Be it known that I, VViL-LIAM H. DYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Douglas Township, in the county of Montcalm and State of l\"[ichigan, have invented a new and useful IlllplOYfimfinll in Automobile Timers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to timers for timing the ignition of automobiles and similar vehicles. and while it is more es giecially intended for Ford cars, and other cars having a distributor shaft revolving with the engine, and distributor contacts arranged in a circle about said shaft, it is applicable to any car employing similar methods of ignition without departing from my inven-' tion. Its purposes are to make a device that shall be extremely simple and cheap in construction and reliable in operation and that can be dismounted and separated into its component parts for cleaning and removing of worn parts in the easiest possible manner without the use of any tools, except possibly a wrench.

I attain these purposes by the means shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the line m--ili of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a section on the line g g of Fig. 1. Figs. 3and 1 are details to illustrate the method of removal of the contact member.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the body ot the engine through which passes the dis tributor shaft 2. The body 1 is provided With a seat 3 on whichis mounted the distributor shell 4;, containing the contacts 5, of which there are as many as there are cylinders in the engine. In the present instance, four are shown; but as many as are desired may be employed according to the number of cylinders in the engine. The shell 4 is adapted to revolve on the seat 3 for the purpose of advancing or retarding the spark in the usual manner by means of the arm 6. This part of the device, however, is common to many engines and forms no part of my invention and may be of any desired form or shape according to the engine upon which it is intended to be used. The same is true of the contacts 5, which are also of the usual form and construction, the space between them being filled with insulation 7. The distributor shaft 2 is also of the regular form employed on the car upon which the device is to be used. In this case, the Ford shaft is shown. The upper end of the shaft 2 terminates in a slightly reduced cylindrical portion on which is a collar 8, held in place by a nut 9. A key 10 passes through the upper end of the shaft 2 and is retained in position by the collar 8. On the upper end of the shaft 2 is removably mounted a hub 12 and a disk 13 secured or integrally formed at its lower extremity. A notch 14. is formed at the upper side of the cylinder 12. fitting the key 10, thus compelling the cylinder 1.2 and disk 13 to revolve with the shaft 2. An S shaped spring 15 rcmovably mounted on the outside of the hub 12. This spring is so mounted on the hub as to freely oscillate about it when desired or to be removed from it. by simply sliding oil'. I effect this purpose by forming the end of the spring into anearly complete circle, substantially the same size as the outside of the hub. The spring then bent into an S shape as shown at 16. An opening 17 is formed in its opposite extremity adapted to receive the notched extremity 18 of the brush point end 19. It is evident that when the extremity 18 is passed through the opening and turned to the position shown in Fig. 3, the brush point 19 cannot be removed, but will be held securely in position. But when turned longitudinally, the brush point can be easily removed through the opening 17. The disk13 is turned upward at one side at a point opposite the opening 17 in the spring 15 and an opening 20 is formed in the upturned portion through which the contact brush 19 passes. The upturned portion is also preferably turned inward as shown in Fig. 1 at 21. IVhile I prefer this construction, the inturned portion may be omitted without departing from my invention and the upturn of the disk 13 should be of sutficient thickness to serve as a guide for the point 19. The upturned portion may also be integral with the disk or may be secured to it in any desired manner. The shell 4 is retained in position by a spring 22. This also is usual in the construction of automobile engines and forms no part of my invention.

The operation of my device is as follows: The shaft 2 revolves with the engine carrying with it the hub 12 and the spring 15. The brush 19 is kept continually pressed against the inside of the shell, by the spring 15. and as it revolves, comes successively in contact with the contacts thus closing the circuit in. the usual manner.

hen it is desired to deinount my timer for cleaning or replacing the contact brush 19 or for any othe purpose, it is only ncccs sary to remove the spring 22. This releases the shell which can then be lifted off from the seat The nut 9 is then unscrewed, releasing the collar 8. the key 10 withdrawn and the collar 8 can be removed, bringing with it the disk 13 and spring 15, and the spring can then he slipped off the upper extremity of the shaft. lhe spring 15 is then bent inward until the brush is drawn out of the guide 18 and turned longitlulinally with the opening of the spring as already described and the spring itself can he slipped off from the hub 12. The device can thus be completely separated into its component parts withoutthe use of any tools whatever with the exception of a wrench to remove the nut 9 it the device is on the distributor shaft.

It will also be noted that, as the brush 19 is pressed inward, the peculiar form of the spring 15 permits it to oscillate on the hub 12 and thus permits the brush 19 to move straight in and out and not at an angle as would be the case it the opposite extremity of the spring 15, where it is mounted on the collar, were not free to oscillate about the collar.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure Letters Patent.

1. The combination in a timer for internal combustion engines, distributing contacts arranged in a circle; a distributor shaft positioned within the circle "formed by said contacts and revolving with said engine; a spring removably mounted on said shaft so as to revolve therewith, but free to oscillate thereon, and a contact brush mounted on the outer extremity of said spring and adapted, as said shaft revolves, to engage successively with said contacts.

2. The combination in a timer for internal combustion engines. distributing contacts arranged in a circle; a distributor shaft positioned within the circle formed by said contacts and revolving with said engine; a hub removably mounted on said shaft so as revolve therewith; a spring removably mounted on said hub so as to revolve therewith, but free to oscillate thereon, and a con tact brush mounted on the outer extremity of said spring and adapted. as Said shaft revolves, to engage successively with said contacts.

3. The combination in a timer for internal combustion engines. distributing contacts arranged in a circle; a distributor shaft positioned within the circle formed by said contacts and revolving with said engine; a hub rcniovably mounted on said shaft so as to revolve therewith, but free to oscillate thereon. and a contact brush. removably mounted on the outer extremity ot said spring and adapted. as said shaft revolves, to engage successively with said contacts.

it. The combination in a timer for internal con'ibustion engines, distributing contacts arranged in a circle; a distributor shaft positioned within the circle formed by said contacts and revolving with said engine; a hub rcmovably mounted on said shaft so as to revolve therewith, a spring removably mounted on said hub so as to revolve therewith, but free to oscillate thereon; a contact brush removahly mounted on the outer extremity of said spring and adapted, as said shaft revolves, to engage successively with said contacts and a guide for said contact member.

5. The combination in a timer for internal combustion engines; distributing contacts arranged in a circle; a distributor shaft positioned within the circle formed by said contacts and revolving with said engine; a hub removably mounted on said shaft so as to revolve therewith, an S shaped spring removably mounted on. said hub so as to revolve therewith, but free to oscillate thereon; a contact brush removably mounted on the outer extremity of said spring and adapted. as said shaft revolves, to engage successively with said contacts, and a guide for said contact member.

VILLIAM H. DYER. 

